Category: Employment

In this week’s video, I interview attorney Corey Walker from Iowa. Corey practices in the area of workers compensation. He says that the nursing active practice is one of the highest for injuries and workers comp claims. In fact, he wrote a book, titled “Iowa Nurse Employment Guide: Your A to Z Nursing Handbook.” Corey and I discuss worker compensation […]

I recently attended the Indiana State Nurses Assistance Program quarterly provider meeting. This was an opportunity where people who serve nurses with substance abuse issues can get together. Representing and being an advocate for nurses, I attended the session which included the Executive Director of the Indiana State Board of Nursing, the President of the Indiana State Board of Nurses […]

Recently I learned that nurses at a major health care system in my home State of Indiana are organizing a union. I am most bothered by the fact that the nurses in this health system are so dissatisfied that they believe a union is necessary. I have trepidations in writing this post but feel it is necessary to make some […]

Guest post by Cynthia Howard RN, CNC, PhD, CEO Nurses are practical and purposeful. When your job is the well-being of other people it can be tough to put yourself in the schedule. Most nurses I know find caring for everyone else easy and the very thought of taking care of themselves may seem selfish. Yet, to achieve true balance […]

This past week I went before the Nursing Board. Not only do they hear matters against nurses who licenses are being charged but also cases of individuals who have completed their nursing education and now want to sit for the test. Some have skeletons in their closet such as a previous DUI conviction or some such criminal matter. Once you […]

I would love to hear your thoughts, please leave a comment.

Is a med error considered malpractice? “Malpractice” is a fancy word for negligence, but involves a professional. There are 4 elements of malpractice: Duty (the standard of care) Breach (you didn’t do what you were supposed to do or did something that you should not have done); Causation; and Harm. So, let’s put it in layman’s terms. You have a […]

I know how difficult it can be to be understaffed on a busy medical surgical unit or for that matter, any unit and I know that hospitals and nursing homes discourage overtime.  Unfortunately, most state laws do not have any minimum staffing requirements.  You’re in between a rock and a hard place because you are required to accept the assignment […]

“Should I carry my own malpractice insurance?” That’s a question I hear quite a lot. As an employee, your employer is responsible for your actions as long as you are acting within the scope of your responsibilities. If you do something that is clearly outside that scope, your employer will not cover you. Some extreme examples are having inappropriate relations […]